Melbourne great eats and spots – part 1

okay.. this may be a biiiiiiiiiiit outdated, but I was looking through some ol’ pics and decided to post up some places to visit and famous eats in Melbourne CBD – mainly attributed to sleepygal’s visit last 2 winters ago, i.e. 2007 (yeah i know, it’s ages, but things hasnt changed! much…. )

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for those who didnt know, i have 4 besties.. and we call ourselves the gals – something that brought us through thick and thin; and also something that made our high school more memorable, exciting and fun (will introduce ‘em later). so after form 5, we split to separate paths but until today, we are still in touch and plans to be each other’s kids’ godmother (not sure how it’s gonna be yet.. lol)

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Anyway, because the 4 of us are in melbourne, sleepygal decides to pay us a visit – here’s what our adventure looks like

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Upon her arrival, we prepared a “banner” which screams sleepygal, together with our voices which ultimately caused her to walk so fast, hence the blur pic, what a WARM welcome, dont ya’ll think?   trust us to do jus that

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First things first, we brought her to eat. At approx  9–10pm at night, there’s nothing much to eat aside from chinatown food. So we brought her to a famous greek restaurant called STALACTITES which serves wraps till the late night. It is located at the corner of Lonsdale and Russell St (if you are in the city, you will not miss it because Melbourne is a friggin’ square! and they have st signs at every junction, which is a good thing too ). They are famous for their lamb wraps but I prefer their chicken ones.. *tee-hee*

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Just look for the Lebanese House Restaurant, it’s next to it. It has a cave-y interior look you wont miss it sorry there’s no close up of the food, but it is yummy! not the best you can get in town (the best is somewhere from a truck-seller) but still a taste of Greek food! oh oh don’t forget the chips!

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After a good night’s rest, we are ready for day 2! After grabbing Australian’s delicacy, SUBWAY (:p) we headed to the PIXAR exhibition held opposite the Flinders St Train Station. They always have exhibitions there, so it’s worth a visit while you’re there – it’s FREE!

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can you find Nemo??? No? Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming swimming swimming…then *ahhh memoriess*

- From left: cycogal, sleepygal, crazygal & hypergal -

p/s: sizzlegal is missing ’cause she’s home with her family

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Yeah, we saw boo and we couldn’t resist jumping into the prohibited area to shake his hand

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Hypergal and Sleepygal showing off their stunts, can you recognize where it came from?

oh, and Melbourne’s very own Eiffel tower… *heh heh*

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btw, these pics are taken near the South Yarra river (opposite Flinder’s Train Station too); one of the only rivers in Melbourne.

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An interesting fact: Australia and New Zealand is a rather dry land, always suffering from drought. Read more here.

so when you do opt for home-stay while you’re here, one of the house rules they lay down for you is the ideal 7-minute shower max, if not they’ll either turn off the heater or just turn off the water supply completely (some even installed the shower heads with timer!)

Unlike Malaysians, we love our 30 min shower dont we????

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* a lot of things happened which is better off undisclosed :p *

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We had an early dinner due to the bad weather – as you can see, winter is all about rain, rain and rain. unfortunately melbourne’s rain is nothing compared to Malaysia’s – it’s merely drizzles, hence their water supply is minute. *shrugs, oh well

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We had our dinner that night at ITO’s, a japanese cuisine at the corner of Bourke St and Russell. It is quite a small secluded shop (just look up at the signs while you’re walking up Bourke st heading towards Exhibition St direction), the taste is okay, normal japanese food for its price, ranging from AUD$10-15, depending on what you order.

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Personally I like their unagi don hypergal decided to try their salmon, it was okay, but I prefer is semi-cooked so it’s not too dry, you can tell the waitress if your tastebuds are the same as mine sleepygal was craving for her udon at that time, and decided to go for tempura.

Overall, I think the quality of the food here is to my likings, and with its price too, it’s reasonable quality food in Melbourne CBD (unless you travel far far to the suburbs) better than the japanese here, dollar to dollar (dont lah compare to the ****/***** places)

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*p/s: there are a lot more small japanese shops around selling cheap take-aways and fast food, like the famous one: DonDon located at 321 Swanston Street OR 330 Little Lonsdale Street, MELBOURNE (they probably have more branches now).

They are like SUPER FAST at serving food, one minute you’re ordering, next minute you’re paying AND taking your food. It is NOT FUN working in there, I know because I was one of the “machines” that operates for their super duper fast food serving, paid at AUD$8.50 per hour.

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Nonetheless, the food is good la..for its price (AUD$ 5.50-7) – so you’ll always see a queue of working people during lunch hour, be it asian or whites or blacks.

damn cheap for its quality actually… especially their SASHIMI DON. i dont have the pic to show you all but I can assure you that it’s fresh, the salmon fish comes in every morning and the boss goes to each branch to slice up the fish, to be arranged in a nice rose-shaped pattern on top of the rice.

oh, oh, love their chicken teriyaki too

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There are seriously so man japanese cuisine in Melbourne, one can never get sick of. One of the must-try claimed-Japanese-but-originated-from-HongKong dessert shop is ICHIPAN’s crepes located at Melbourne Central (near BOOST)

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they have all sorts of flavours, all sorts of combination; from bananas to green tea ice cream to nutella sauce. Mix and match your favourite crepes (hot/cold) when you’re there!

p/s: that’s my mom on the left btw

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oopsies, i got so side-tracked when I talked about food :p

Anyhoooz, sleepygal, hypergal and I ended our night with Melbourne’s most desired dessert/hangout place, none-other-than MAX BRENNER’s!!!

Max Brenner’s is a chocolate dessert place which represents THE CHOCOLATE CULTURE of all times. Read more about Max Brenner, a bald man’s love story towards chocolate here

Meanwhile, here are some pics of my experiences with the bald man. Enjoy~

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omg, i miss them so much!

- From left: the belgian waffle with sides, vanilla ice cream and strawberry.

the chocolate dip with strawberries (my fav! get to feel the true taste of the chocolate mm-mmm).

the oh-so-rich chocolate brownie (very satisfying for chocolate cravings ~yum!).

the chocolate iceshakes/smoothie on their Drink-Me trademark cup – comes in a lotta flavours e.g. banana chocolate, oreo cookie & peanut butte; all with chocolate obviously

(they also have the Hug-Me cups for hot drinks).

and the final one is special – it’s called ‘suckao‘, which I dont know why, but it’s basically milk and choco bits melted to your own liking. you get to choose which choc flava you want – dark, milk or white chocolate and then u melt it, either with addition of milk or not.

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SCRUMPTIOUS!

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Price wise – a biiiiiiiiiit pricy but heck, it’s worth a pamper once in a while Definitely a not-to-miss when you’re new in town!

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Will be back for more – stay tuned!

miss.qp

Nasi Bojari @ Madam Kwan’s, Mid-valley branch

IT WAS A DISAPPOINTMENT OF MY LIFE!

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mr.fbb and I used to be a big fan of Madam Kwan’s especially when we feel like nasi-lemak-like food. I remember our first time there – mom brought us to the one in Pavilion shopping mall and it was finger-licking-licious! The fried chicken totally blew our mind~! I’m sure a lot of people would second us on that.

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Madam Kwan is a Malaysian cuisine restaurant serving Malaysia’s delicacies at a higher price than the normal road side stalls.

Ever since mr.fbb tried their oh-so-famous Nasi Bojari, everytime you ask him what he wants to eat (especially in a shopping mall), he will say, “Madam Kwan’s mou” and gives that hungry eager look of his.

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I don’t know why he still bothers looking at the menu because we already know what’s ze best there – Nasi Bojari with their Ice Lemon Tea. mom claims that their ice lemon tea is the best she ever tasted (mind you, she ALWAYS order ice lemon tea if given a choice).

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You get to put in the honey sugar concentration yourself as each and everyone’s liking for sweetness differ. I really like this idea – maybe this is why it sells. Look at the other tables:

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Suprise surprise ~ non other than ice lemon tea and nasi bojari/nasi lemak at each and almost every table

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Their nasi bojari comes with the crispy fried chicken, crunch on the outside, soft in the inside – that’s why they’re so in demand. But, as i said, it was a disappointment on that day in the Midvalley branch because despite its crispness on the outside, the inside was tasteless. It was wayyyy different from our first experience… After a while, I actually feel a bit “jelak” – too much! it was greasy and fatty and ugh~ mr fbb, who refuses to believe that the quality has gone bad, still managed to clean his plate, as always, ALTHOUGH he would’ve cleaned the chicken more if it was scrumptious ( yeah he is damn pro at eating chicken, who is up for some competition, do let me know).

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Hopefully it’s only because there were so many people

(if you go to Midvalley on the weekends, you can never fail to see a queue outside the shop during meal times – I was part of that once *tee-hee*)

that they didn’t get to marinate their chicken long enough. Other than that, it comes with assam prawn sambal (they’re sweet and nice ) and beef/chicken rendang (to your choice) as well as the normal nasi lemak sides, i.e. the egg and cucumber.

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btw, their rice (i.e. nasi in Malay) is quite different as it is not the normal white rice. It is called coloured mixed briyani rice which gives a hint of spice taste, quite nice but quite dry in this instance. the rendang was usually very saucy and nice, but that day, it was a failure Their assam prawn sambal, however, is really good, tasted yum to the eye, even better in the mouth

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Priced at ~RM21.50 per plate, I would say it’s worth it, before I had this bad experience. Now, I’m not too sure anymore….

Just very thankful that I did not suffer from any diarrhea or food poisoning after that meal.

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Nonetheless, I love their ice lemon tea!

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xox,

miss.qp

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Address: er…everywhere? haha I only know there’s one in KLCC, Midvalley, Bangsar, SS2, Pavillion…. help me anyone?

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Bangsar: 65 Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur -03-2284 2298/7

Best healthy burgers @ Grill’d, Melbourne

By far the best burgers I’ve tried is in Melbourne, first introduced by my friend J.Soledad (she got me so addicted, i miss it so much now that I’m back in Malaysia )

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Albeit being called a healthy burger, Grill’d offers quality, fresh, healthy, meal-sized burgers made from 100% beef, chicken breast, lamb and veggie patties. Part of the Grill’d experience is watching the delicious, made-to-order burgers being cooked on the flame grill and ‘dressed’ with fresh ingredients. They are truly the best and healthiest, not to mention humongous, burgers I’ve eaten so far

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This is my absolute favourite, called the BIRD n BRIE. It’s chicken patty with its layers and layers of fillings – what I like about it is the cranberry jam which comes with it (you must be thinking savoury + sweet?!??!) but you absolutely have to try it!! It deserves the calling of SCRUMPTIOUS~ *mm-mmm*

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Look at all the ingredients spewing out of the burger.. they definitely are generous with their servings aren’t they? makes me hungry……. *stomach grumbles*oh, did i mention that their sauces are homemade too???

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And they get really creative with the dressing as well… that’s why it’s worth every penny of yours! One of the things that attract me is their choice of mixture, because I’m into cooking, so anything delicious with herbs/spices catches my eyes, well, nose and tastebuds in this case

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The best part about Grill’d is you don’t get that feeling of crapiness or greasiness after finishing off a traditional burger plus it’s 95% fat free. Girls usually jump at anything that says FAT-FREE, don’t you agree?

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When ordering, you have a choice of bread (sort of like Subway, but this is much more satisfying than Subway) plain or with sesame (definitely with sesame!) and there are also a wide variety of selections of burgers – browse through them here.

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Priced at an average of AUD$10, some may say that this burger is overrated – but definitely not this lad here! a BIG fan! not of burgers… just Grill’d. *tee-hee*

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I wonder when will I be able to satisfy my cravings for some Grill’d again… hopefully someone will franchise it here.

A million-dollar business people!

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Just like how both SUBWAY and BOOST made it back here…..

(disclaimer: these pics are from melbourne, but they are found locally in Malaysia now )

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btw, for those who wasn’t aware, BOOST is a yoghurt-mix-ice-cream refreshment that is very famous amongst the Aussies

(yeah, they have all these “healthy” food because of their obesity rates, maybe it contributes? *shrugs*)

it can now be found in KLCC (find out more here) (LG or 1st FLoor, I can’t remember, near Centre Court)

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and SUBWAY is a healthy sandwich place with lotsa choices (you have to choose from the type of bread to the fillings, all the way to the dressings and additional of salt & pepper) – ideal for those who don’t have the time to cook/make their own sandwiches very popular amongst ladies who cant eat much because they can split a foot long sandwich into 4!  how economical…

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Not to forget, Krispy Kreme (which can be found in Times Square, next to Starbucks, if my memory didn’t fail me), a doughnut and coffee place – their original one is ze best~!

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Okay… Back to work!

miss.qp

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Address: they’re all over Melbourne! and now New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland (QLD).. so keep your eyes open!

OR you could browse through their website to look for their stores here …and if you are Malaysian and am thinking of starting a business…check out their FRANCHISE thingy!

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Japanese @ Nihon Kai, Old Klang Road and Astro Star Quest Final 2009

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Guess what! mr.fbb had two VIP tix to watch Astro Star Quest Finals Live in Stadium Putra Indoor, Bukit Jalil last Saturday. Astro Star Quest is a singing competition for talented young people (like you and i) as a stepping stone to show the world that they can sing/dance/perform! sorta like the idols show, btw what happened to Malaysian idol?!?! hmmm..anywaysss  we decided to go even though we dont follow (because it is in Chinese and we’re both kinda bananas) because we thought it’d be nice to go experience some VIP seats *snicker*

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(for those non-malaysians: bananas =  chinese who can’t speak/read/write Chinese =p )

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Since the show begins at 8pm, we went for an early japanese dinner at the oh-so-secluded japanese restaurant, Nihon Kai @ Old Klang Road. It was recommended by a friend and I must admit, the shop didnt look inviting at all despite its decorative interior with slight authentic japanese theme.

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They have two floors, with the upstairs having rooms for family gatherings/private functions. It is a small but homey place; but the people, not so approachable. I stepped in and first thing they ask was “Did you book?” I shook my head and almost expected them to chase me away but of course, they didnt, it was 5.50pm! who eats dinner at that hour??? and then they told us we had to leave by 7pm -.-” how rude.

not only that when we were looking at the menu, the waitress kept coming over and asking if we were ready, and then she added,

“aiy0r hai mei you hao ah, ten sia hen duo ren..”

which translates to

“still not ready, later got a lot of people…”

to her colleagues.

They must be really busy, every table comes with a booking. but still, every customer is valuable. she ought not rush us like that, right???

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anyhowz, I wanted to order their cod fish as recommended but they didnt have them that day so we went for the mix tempura and raw sashimi instead.

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The sashimi was not a let-down. It was fresh, nonetheless, but it is not the best that I’ve had. Still, the price is very affordable (~ RM 16.00) as it comes in a set with the tempura, miso soup, rice and cawan mushi as below:

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The tempura is nice – like any other you can get in any other japanese restaurant, nothing to shout about… but still it’s not greasy and yucky, it’s just nice to the mouth and stomach  *bite…crunch-crunch* 

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hahhah the cawan mushi looks so serene right… so…still. heheh this egg dish tasted okay, very home made, with lil/no MSG. But they could at least put in a lil more extras? only manage to find a small crab cake and a tiny mushroom.

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Same goes for the miso soup.. it’s nice and very homemade – no MSG whatsoever, which I likeyy very much

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We also had their specialty just to taste what they have got to offer – can you guess what is in it? it just looks like a “popiah” filled with cucumber right? but nope, they have hidden a sashimi inside, together with cucumbers and cabbage… sort of like a salad-in-a-sushi, quite SCRUMPTIOUS i would say…special but the vegetable kind of hid the taste of sashimi….. hmm~

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we also had the “ni kyu don” , i.e. the beef rice. nothing to shout about, in fact I think that it’s too dry, they should’ve added more sauce to it. a no-no to order despite how tempting it looks. Overall, I think their sashimi is well worth it and also their sets. anything with their sashimi, WHACK it! hehe total damage above was about rm60… oh oh!! and also, they should change their green tea… it is tasteless compared to sushi grooove’s!

(p/s: green tea fan here….. =p )

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So anyhoo we headed to the stadium after that, and am really disappointed with the so-called VIP seats we had offered by Astro Life

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I mean…SERIOUSLY>!?@!#?@$?

If this is what they call VIP seats, I have nothing to say……………………….

Except that

I was thinking of my comfortable couch at home the whole time….

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But I have to admit, the sound effect and the cheer and the atmosphere is surprisingly good… Kept imagining myself as one of the finalists…………

How many supporters will I get?

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*dreams away*

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miss.qp

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Address: 4-2, Jalan Telok Gadong, Off Jalan Klang Lama Batu 3 1/2, 58100 KL.

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[Go towards Old Klang Road. After the underpass, keep left, look out for the Kee Hing Tyre with big Michelin Tyre logo on signboard and turn left right there (which is the road just before Shell). You should be able to see Nihon Kai at the double-storey shop lots.]

Banana Leaf Rice @ Sri Nirvana Maju, Bangsar

Last Saturday was a good one; I got to meet up with two of my 4 besties – C and SL

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We went all the way to Bangsar (okay, it was only all the way for me :p) to have a go at the oh-so-famous banana leaf rice at Nirvana. It was a really lucky day as we got our parking in the first round! See C, I told you to have faith

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When we step into the shop, every table was full and the empty ones were “RESERVED”. I dont know if that was a tactic to show people that they’re really busy or…? Entertain me if you know. Nevertheless, the guy asked me how many seats I needed, I said 3 and he removed the “RESERVED” sign off the table… how nice of him

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It was pretty easy to order, u either eat rice or meehoon (vermicilli), and it comes on a banana leaf with 3 sides (i think it differs everyday): the one i got was some pickled cucumbers, some kind of vege, & fried bittergourd. I hate bittergourd, and so does most people; but this one is edible because the coating tasted so good… but still, how i wish they gave me brinjal instead.. I would have had a 2nd, 3rd, 4th serving! *sigh*

you’ll also get to choose 3 kinds of curry: fish, chicken or dahl (boiled lentils). TO me, the fish curry is ze best~ yumzz

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If you think this is too plain, you can also order somesides to complement the rice. That day, we had the fried fish, fried chicken and fried sotong (you can imagine how dry our throat was by the the end of it :s )

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This is the fried sotong (calamari); HIGHLY recommend it.. the taste is justtttt nice wiith a tinge of spice – yum! and the sotong is pretty fresh too – chewy and springy and I likey!

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The fish was, although dry, really fresh. I love fishes with white meat, and this one comes with a tasty coating… that’s what indian cuisine is all about i suppose; their spices. Still, when the dryness kicks in, it turns people off doesn’t it? The chicken was no exception…. Maybe I should have asked for their specialties before ordering ~ hmmm

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In short, I think Nirvana’s overrated. I’ve had Paandi @ Petaling Jaya and I thought it was better than this. hmm.. I dont know, why not leave a comment and let me know what you think? C reckons there’s no other place for banana leaf than Raju’s @ Petaling Jaya. Shall visit there one day!

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adios amigos!

miss.qp

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Address: 43, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru, 591000, Kuala Lumpur.

Affordable Fresh Seafood @ Fook Hin Bak Kut Teh, Seri Kembangan

Don’t let the name of the restaurant deceive you; Fook Hin Restaurant is not merely a bak kut teh place (actually i dont even know if they serve bak kut teh) but it has quality seafood in Seri Kembangan. (btw, bak kut teh is pork ribs/meat/parts like intestines in a herbal soup – a Chinese delicacy see its history here)

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Last Friday mr.fbb and friends came to pick me up from work, and we headed down to Seri Kembangan (SK) in hopes of some good food (mainly because i’ve been babbling about it so much hehe~) and I can assure you, we were not disappointed

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Located near a school in a housing area, the roads were all packed with cars and motorcycles when we arrive at 7pm (hint: do arrive early especially on weekends as it could get really full and parking is a hassle).

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There were 7 of us, so we decided we could order 7 dishes; food came quick (thank god, cos we’re all hungry & full of expectations). First up, we had the baby clams, kam hiong style (“kam hiong lala“). It’s slightly spicy but it was really tasty. THey have the big ones too, if you are a fan of big clams.

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We also had their specialty, which is called the “sang yu”. I love to eat fish and am very picky when it comes to freshness and taste. I loved this dish since day 1 when I went with my family because the sauce is sweetly nice and the fish meat is just about cooked and fresh, truly SCRUMPTIOUS! mr.fbb thought it could be better if they didnt slice up the fish. Nonetheless, the rest loved it and said it was fresh and tasty. Moreover, it is a very affordable yummy fish!

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What is seafood without the crabs right….. we had the salted-egg style (“ham tan hai”). Because I’m allergic to seafood (yea and i still eat them! :p), particularly crabs, i dont really have an affinity for crabs. but i ate this one anyway and find it fresh (I can tell because I didnt have any outrageous rash the next day – usually happens when the sea creatures has not been cleaned or is intoxicated during its lifetime) and the salted egg really, really and i mean REALLY complements it. mr.fbb, jk and zy especially enjoyed sucking the salted egg off the crab meat and shells – it was finger-licking-licious! Even I couldnt resist helping myself to more, dismissing the fact that i might overdosing myself with “poison” from the allergy to seafood

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We also had the luxury of having mantis prawns, one each. We may have chosen a not-so-nice way to cook the prawn because I find it a lil’ tad dry. but other than that, it was biggg and fresh and has the spring-y feeling when u take a bite into it. moreover, it doesnt have the smelly prawn smell. I reckon it will be much much better if it’s steamed. what do you think?

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For some green, we had the 4-vege-in-1, “sei tai tin wong” hahha jk got really excited when the waitress mentioned it. I thought it was just a normal dish, but nevertheless tasted good and price wise, it is very affordable too (will get to the bill later, just think how much food we ordered and keep guessing how much was the damage).

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I’ll never miss out on one of my favourite dish and mr.fbb’s biggest fear, THE FROG (“tin kai“). I dont remember when I started adoring this dish, but I find it really nice to bite on, because what mainly constitutes the dish is the frog’s muscular legs, so spring-y, so chewy, so yummylicious. I’ve tried in so many places, and this is one of my fav. Usually, you wont be able to find much meat because most of the places serve skinny frogs, but this one is HUGE! Really, really satisfyingggg…yumz~

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The best of the best amongst the dishes is yet to come….. THE PORK KNUCKLE (“chu sau”). This braised pork knuckle is one of their specialties too. With its sweet tangy black sauce, it really complements the soft, melt-in-your-mouth, meat. Moreover, their pork constitutes of not only meat (because it gives you a dry feeling), but it also has a desirable amount of fat layered between the right places. Plus, they also added some chicken leg, pork trotters and intestines as a bonus! How worth it can it be right….. *slurpppp – Definitely a must-order here!

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Even after all that, we were still asking for more. So we decided to order some tofu. We wanted it the awesome (to us, at least) style which is the sizzling hot plate (“tip pan taufu“) style but they didnt have it. we were like @!#!@$??!

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Anyhoo they then recommended their creation (“jiu pai“). It is fried and inside the tofu, they mixed all sorts of herbs in it (e.g. chinese parsley, spring onion and the sort). It tasted pretty good, but still, a tad dry. A very vegetarian dish to me, worth a try if you’re in a big group

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Ahhhh.. what a satisfying, scrumptious meal! Definitely worth the travel right guys… guys??? ehhhehhe. The satisfaction increases when the bill came..take a guess before scrolling down??

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A total of RM 225.50! For all the above? It’s hardly attainable nowadays in KL, won’t you agree? Please DO drop me a comment if I miss out on any reasonably, priced good food like this one!

miss.qp

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Address: 15, Jalan Aman, Seri Kembangan, 43300 Selangor

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[Getting there is not really that hard. All you need to do is drive into the Seri Kembangan new village. Head towards Jalan Sekolah (which is the right turn at the third traffic light after South City Plaza). If coming from Putrajaya highway, go all the way straight until you see a traffic light with an abandoned construction site on your right, turn left into Jalan Sekolah. Go straight until you reach the school (it’s on the left) and Turn left at the junction and make another right. You will then arrive at Fook Hin.

Crepes @ Food Foundry, Section 17

It was a special day last thursday, for the both of us; yet i had to work. But we didnt let it dampen our spirits to celebrate. We did what was right, after all whats more satisfying that filling that stomach of ours right… so we headed down to Food Foundry @ Section 17, Petaling Jaya.

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Food Foundry is a cosy family restaurant, situated in the leafy suburb of Section 17, Petaling Jaya. They serve additive-free Asian and Western meals, which I have to admit, tasted very home-made. mr.fbb kept wondering how can homemade food be so tasty!

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He had their chicken chop, which was really good.

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I was quite skeptical at first (the menu didnt look good :s), but boy, was I wrong! dont let the picture deceive you (i have yet to invest in a good camera -.-”") the chicken chop was cooked well, to its optimum tenderness. The mushroom-peppery sauce was great and goes well with the flavourful chicken (you know how sometimes the chicken chop is just bland without the sauce? well this is not!) The mashed potato by the side is just normal, definitely not the kind you get from kfc (since kfc put in a lot of MSG); this one has a home made feel and you can actually taste potatoes (not flour like…. others).  All in all, it was just SCRUMPTIOUS! definitely will order that again the next trip ahead.

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And I had the vanilla crepes, out of three flavours: vanilla, choc and strawberry. Nonetheless, it was very good too. tasted almost….classy (like the ones u can get from those high-class french patisserie shops?) there were layers of light cream and butter and sweetness between the crepes, and it was just lovely. It wasn’t too sweet, definitely a must for the sweet-tooths!

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The other best crepe that I’ve had was in Melbourne, and this is equally satisfying. Looks like there’s no need for me to reminisce on Melbourne good eats no more!

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xoxo,

miss.qp

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Address: BG-8,Happy Mansion, Jalan 17/13, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

Lan Je Steamed Tilapia Fish

Are you a fish-lover? Are you willing to travel to eat good fish?? Well, then this one is not to be missed!

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Located in Rawang, this Lan Je Restaurant which specializes in steaming tilapia fish is definitely a one-stop in your to-eat list. People queue up for hours for it! moreover, when they DO get a seat (btw, seats are not important here…tell you why later), each table will order an average of one fish for EACh person.. basically it’ll look like this….

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yep, this was my 7 seated table – hence, 7 fishes with an extra 2 dishes – the fish was the highlight of the dinner. it’s fresh, it doesnt have a strong fishy smell (you know that “sang” smell?), the meat is soft and tender,and the sauce…is a bom – you can choose from least spicy, medium, extra spicy and extra extra spicy, kids love it too! heck, even non-fishloverswill have to say it’s SCRUMPTIOUS!

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Aside from the greatness of taste in the food, it is actually an amusing experience having to eat here. One night, when I called to book a table for 7.. the waiter told me that there’s no use booking a table. the conversation goes like this:

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“Hi, can I have a booking for 7 for tonight at 7pm?”

“I’m sorry we don’t reserve seats. You’ll need to reserve the # of fishes you want.”

@#$#%????!!

“erm, okay..can I have 7 fishes please?”

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A truly shocking experience, I must say – you must be thinking “What’s so great about a tilapia fish?!?” Just try it for yourself, mate

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All in all, my family and I really had a great time with the fishes.

Need I say more? :p

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Of course, we didnt have our share of Lan Je Steamed Tilapia fish in Rawang (although we did go all the way there once, but the Rawang branch only serves lunch -.-”" ) They opened a branch in Kota Damansara! (address provided below)

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Before I sign off, just want to remind you readers that if you wanna go, call to book the number of fishes! or you will be disappointed, that is if you arrive late After that, drop me a comment and do let me know of your experiences!

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xox,

miss.qp

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F- 50G & 51G Jalan Teknologi 3/9

Bistari “DE” Kota

Kota Damansara

PJU 5, PJ

11:30 – 3pm, 6 – 9pm; Closed on Tuesdays

Tel: 012-669 9919, 016-6189919

OR

27-28, Block C

Jalan Rawang

Gerai MPS, Batu 16

Rawang.

The Graham @ Port Melbourne

During my last few days in Melbourne, a very good friend of mine and her beau brought me to a fine dining restaurant in Port Melbourne, Australia.

The Graham has won a Hat from the prestigious Age Good Food Guide in every year that it has been opened. So we decided to give it a go and pamper our stomach, just for one night. It was mind-blowingly yumz, at least for me (not a frequent for fine dining)

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For entree we had the scallops and sliced beef – very fulfilling, totally opens up your appetite.

this is the Middle Eastern spiced scallops, roasted eggplant puree, saffron youhurt, mustard cress – fresh and the sauce…truly scrumptious~ love it love it. Priced around $19.50

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this dish…it’s sliced beef.. but i cannot recall the name!!! bah~  all i can remember is it meltssss in your mouth, literally, because it’s so thinly-sliced! truly a skill… a word of advice? you gotta race with time to taste the taste… price should be about $15-20 too.

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and for the mains, we had…

Slow roasted suckling pig, braised savoy cabbage and Jamon, quince jus – Priced at $34.50, this dish is very yummy; every bite you take, you hear a crunch as the skin is very very crisp and its soft tender meat warms your heart with its juiciness..a thumbs-up for its slow-roasted skin. mr.fbb was so jealous he was drooling over the pic when he first saw it. too bad he couldn’t fly all the way to Melbourne, he would think this dish is worth his flight ticket lolx

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Chargrilled ’1824′ scotch fillet, saute of winter mushrooms, red wine jus – one bite and you’re drunk. nah, jus kidding.. but after one bite, you’ll want another, it was juicy and tender and tasty and just grilled to perfection. Won’t say it’s the best, but definitely worth a try. Priced at $32.50

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Roasted lamb loin, eggplant caviar, parsnip puree, caramelised brussels sprouts – this was my choice. At first I was hesitant because I always thought lamb has a strong smell which puts me off. but this one doesn’t moreover, it is the most juiciest lamb i’ve ever had. it tasted almost like steak, one could never tell. and the puree, oh my, i think this restaurant deserves a title for making the best sauce/puree home made from fresh ingredients. Priced at $38.50 but no regrets with this one – a must try, if you’re in town.

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One thing about finding great eats in Melbourne is that you have to pay in AUD$, and when you convert, every single dish doesnt seem so yummy after all. haha but it’s a treat okay..once-in-a-while treat (i suppose =p) not thinking about our pockets, we moved on to order their dessert…which is also very very recommended. There were soooo many choices, so we decided to go for this:

Ta-dah! a ALL-in-ONE. They call it: Assiette of miniature desserts for two. so clever right! they just know we’ll have problems deciding. As everything is made from scratch, every lil’ piece of dessert is worth a try. From the most left is the dark chocolate souffle, raspberry sorbet, strawberry meringue, passionfruit curd, rhubarb, coconut crumble, vanilla ice cream and 2 homemade chocolates for the price of $27.50!

Again, it is worth the splurge…. (btw, I think their desserts differ from time to time)

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By the end of time, I was full from the stomach but was feeling really light. First and foremost, the dinner burnt a huge hole in my purse; but most importantly, it took off the stress that I had from exams (it was my last sem and my last chance!)

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xox

miss.qp

Address: corner of Graham St and Esplanade West, Port Melbourne.

Open 7 days

Restaurant: 12 – 3 lunch 6-10 for dinner
Wine Bar: Mon – Thurs from 4pm and Fri to Sun from 2pm

For enquiries, tel: (03) 9676 2566, fax: (03)9676 2466 or info@thegraham.com.au

Daily Grind – Bangsar Village

Hello everyone =D Mr.Fbb here.. For my 1st post, i will do it on a place which serves gourmet burgers. I actually came to know of this place from my younger brother who frequents this place ALL the time.  I went there for my first time sometime last week with my dad and little bro. Too bad Ms.qp couldnt join us that night, but i will definitely bring her there soon=) So anyway, I only tried 3burgers that night. So im quite a newbie to Daily Grind. But i assure you, its good….

The prices for the burgers here range from RM20 – Rm55. Yes, each T____T  but i assure you its worth the money especially if u are a burger lover. Its located in Bangsar Village Shopping Centre on the LG floor. Its real easy to find. Okay, here are the pics!

Cream of Mushroom soup – Super Duper Nice. (dont know how else to describe it) =D

Clam Chowder – Refer to Cream of Mushroom Soup’s description.

If you are wondering which amongst these 2 soups are better… well, i cant say coz they are both different. Order them both xD

These are the potato skins! I had it for appetizer and its basically crispy potato skin stuffed with bacon and bacon bacon (salivating) and some other stuff and with cream cheese on top. Fattening, but worth it xD

Okay, according to our waiter that night, this is the 2nd most popular beef burger at the Daily Grind – the “Down on the Farm” Burger. I personally felt it wasnt that great so this is more of a warning section. Try OTHER BURGERS Its basically a beef patty topped with onion rings and corn cake. Abit rojak-ish as i feel the rings and cake dont go with the burger. However, separately eaten, the corn cake is perfect! Its crispy on the outside, and creamy on the inside. YumYum~ The onion rings are forgettable though. So anyway remember unless u have tried every other burger, i suggest u do not order the Down on The Farm Burger.

This is the Tarragon Mushroom Chicken burger. What it is – a chicken patty with creamy mushroom sauce and a hint of tarragon & rocket leaves on top. Remember the 1st time when u had a bite of the Mushroom Swiss double at Burger King? well, take that feeling, double it, and thats what u get when digging into this burger. Mushroom Swiss double just fell of no.1 spot for mushroom burgers. (if u dont like mushroom swiss double you probably wont like this burger as well)

Now for my Burger..Muahaha..this was what i had. “Lamburgerni” is what this burger is called. Lol, actually i have to admit, i ordered it coz of its name. Fortunately, this burger was the nicest one we had that night. Its a lamb patty with smokey tomato sauce, pesto, & grilled vege. If im not mistaken there are only 2 lamb burgers at the daily grind. This being one of them. And its damn good. The vege might look abit funny from the pic. But dont be put off, its really good. Really complements the lamb patty.

One last thing, this place also has its own home made sauces: Chilli, bbq and ketchup. I didnt think the sauces were all that great but it isnt bad Well, that was our meal for that night. I didnt get to try any drinks that night because we had already ordered soup. Drop a comment if any of you guys have more stuff to recommend from this place Alright. Thanks for reading.

Signing off,

Mr.Fbb

Address: LG, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

(just google Bangsar Village Shopping Centre for directions – google map is sooo useful!)